Surprise
by dizzywithranebows14
Summary: What would happen between Reed and Shane if Shane transferred to Dalton? This is my interpratation of it, so I hope you like it : Rane fluff and whatnot, I ship them whole heartedly ; enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_I'd like to say that all characters go to their rightful owners. Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson go to Ryan Murphy's Glee and Reed Van Kamp and Shane Anderson go to CP Coulter's Dalton. Hope you like it, this is my first one! _

* * *

><p>To say that Reed had missed Shane would be an understatement. When he wasn't working on a project for his most recent art exhibit, he was thinking about him, most of the time the two thoughts combining. It really shocked Reed how much he liked Shane, especially since he was a <em>boy. <em>If he didn't catch himself while using his acrylics, Reed would start to draw Raven curls and hazel eyes. There was one particular evening this happened when Reed's best friend and room mate Kurt came into their room, a look of suspicion on his face.

"Hey Reed, I was wondering if we could go shopping this weekend, I need something to go with my new Burberry sweater," the boy said, a glint of excitement in his eyes.

"Yeah sure, I guess, but I have to make sure I finish a few more pieces before I can go, this art exhibit my mom wants me to do is in a few weeks and I'm a little bit behind,' the artist said apprehensively.

"Great! Thank you so much Reed, I owe you one!" he said as he ran out of the room, pulling out his cell phone. He immediately flipped through the numbers and sent a quick text to a familiar dancer.

A few hundred miles away, Shane Anderson received a text from his brother's boyfriend.

_Okay Bat, the Dormouse will be out of his cage by Saturday morning_

* * *

><p>Shane was practically leaping in the air with joy as he threw some more clothes into his suitcase. He had said all of his proper goodbyes to his friends at Walcott, and was now taking his room apart. Within 24 hours he would be a student at Dalton Academy, rooming with his older brother Blaine, an idea the older Anderson was not too fond of. With a tap in his step, he finished packing up his clothes and zipped up his suitcase, dragging it across his room and down the steps to his limo, courtesy of the twins.<p>

Shane was bouncing in his seat the entire way to the airport, though security, and boarding the plane. People were giving him odd looks as he checked his phone every 30 seconds until it was absolutely essential that he put it away as the plane took off. He sat next to a young brunette girl who had her nose stuck in a book. Her glasses were slipping off her nose as she squinted at the words, a crease between her eyebrows. He held his hand out to her.

"Hi, I'm Shane," he smiled, with every intent of friendliness. The girl looked up, placing a bookmark in its designated area and smiled back

"I'm Nicole," she said simply, taking his hand to shake.

"So Nicole, where are you headed?" he asked.

"Back to Detroit, I came in from Idaho, my sister lives there with her husband. Where are you going?" Nicole asked, brown eyes curious.

"Cincinnati, then up to Westerville where my brother goes to school, I'm transferring," at this he starting jumping in his seat again, excited.

"Seems like your eager to get away from your old school," Nicole mused.

"It's not that, I'm excited to see my brother, it's been a while, and…there's a certain boy there I'm pretty excited to see, I'm surprising him with my transfer," Shane smiled fondly at the memory of the strawberry blonde klutz he knew had stolen his heart.

"Oh that sounds interesting, is he your boyfriend?" the girl asked curiously.

"Not yet, but I'm hoping that he might be after a little bit of time in the same school as him," Shane responded. He pulled out his i phone, now in airplane mode, and asked," Do you wanna see a picture of him?" He never really connected with the people he sat next to on airplanes, but Nicole was easy to talk to and willing to hear what he had to say.

"Alright," she leaned over to get a look at the artist. "Cute, nice catch Shane," she winked at him sarcastically.

"He is adorable," Shane agreed. "He's changed everything for me; I've never felt this way about anyone before, ever. I've only just met him not even a year ago, and here I am ready to lay down the line for him," he chuckled, "silly, isn't it?"

"Not silly, definitely not silly," Nicole reassured him," I think it's very sweet. You're obviously in love with him," she said insightfully. This made Shane's mind at first go blank, then went into overdrive. It had only been months since that fateful day he ran into him at winterfest. Could the dancer really love this beautiful artist?

" I think I might be, maybe….I don't know yet," he sighed, running his fingers through the curly black hair on his head.

"Well I hope things work out between you guys," Nicole said seriously. Through the rest of the flight they continued with some small talk, Nicole taking her book back out and reading some more. Then the flight attendant picked up the speaker and said," We will now be landing in Detroit, we hope you had an enjoying flight on Southwest airlines"

"Well that's me," the brunette said, reaching up to get her carry on bag." Have a nice flight down to Cincinnati," she was the one to hold out her hand this time. Shane reached out and took it.

"Thanks, I will," then she left the plane. Shane settled back into his seat and waited for the plane to take off again for the now 45 minute flight.

* * *

><p>Reed sighed into his pillow, hidden behind the fluffy white comforter on his bed. He looked over the side of the bed to check the time. 12:30 and he was still up thinking about Shane when he should be getting sleep because he was going to the mall with Kurt first thing in the morning; for some reason he had been insistent on leaving at 8 AM because there was a huge sale. He almost seemed pushy with it, which Reed thought odd. He rolled back over and started to drift asleep. Reed could've sworn that he heard quiet footfalls in the hallway, heading towards Blaine's room, but before he could investigate a deep sleep overcame him.<p>

7 AM and the alarm started to blare, and a soft hand was shaking his shoulder rather roughly, urging him to get out of bed. Reed grumbled and sat up, letting his feet hit the floor to stand up. Unfortunately, his feet didn't seem to want to want to cooperate, and the Van Kamp heir came tumbling to the floor. It had to be a record, 30 seconds he was awake and Reed had already injured himself, having carpet burn on his knee. Cursing his balance, or lack thereof, Reed walked to the bathroom, ready to take a shower.

The hot water pouring over him seemed to wake him up, and his thoughts immediately turned to the younger Anderson brother. Where was he? Probably sleeping right now, there was a 3 hour time difference between Ohio and Colorado. He could see Shane dancing in his minds' eye, grinning ear to ear. If only Shane were really here, would Reed tell him of his feelings for him? Maybe. Reed had been contemplating this for a while now, and he decided he was ready. Ready to let Shane in completely. (As if he already hadn't. The young Anderson was very persistent and highly infectious.) Reed didn't know what his orientation was yet, but he knew he liked Shane _a lot._ Romantically. It was good enough for Reed, so he prayed it was good enough for Shane. The tiny boy turned off the hot water and stepped out of the shower, careful not to slip in any puddles of water.

Reed grabbed his clothes from the counter where he left them before his shower, made sure he was dry, and slipped into them. He then turned to the vanity mirror he and Kurt shared to start his morning facial routine. It was then that Kurt came in, about to do the same thing. Reed moved over so that they could share the mirror.

"So," Kurt exclaimed with excitement, " I was thinking we hit Marc Jacob's first, then go to Lord and Taylor's and stop at your mother's, I just always _love _the designs she comes up with, it's truly a genius at work," he fanboyed over Hilde Van Kamp. It seemed to Reed that he was unusually chatty this morning, as if to fill all silence with talking. He shrugged it off though, thinking it was only his imagination at work again. As they both finished, Kurt dragged Reed up from where he was sitting in front of the large mirror and pulled him out of their room, leading him out of Windsor and into his car. As soon as they turned the corner out of Dalton, a curly head poked out of one of the windows of Windsor.

* * *

><p>"That was too close, you've got to be more careful Shane," an annoyed Blaine said to his younger brother. "We've got to make sure your entirely moved in before they get back, Kurt wont be able to hold him all day."<p>

"Yeah I really don't think so, did you even see his closet Blaine?" he shook his head at his brother, surprised he knew Reed so much more than Blaine did even though he knew him much longer. "Kurt will have to drag him out by his ankles to be back in time," Shane smiled at the image of the adorable painter, tripping over his feet to get a better look at this season's printed Armani scarves.

"I guess your right, but if your going to try to sneak in it night, be a little louder would you? I swear I thought Stuart could hear you coming in last night," the older Anderson said jokingly. "Enough of this, we've got to get all your stuff in now." He rummaged through the hastily packed bags. "Damn Shane, how many dance shoes do you have?" Blaine exclaimed, shocked as he saw a mixture of tap shoes, ballet shoes, and many more. He couldn't name all the different types, some looking completely foreign. Shane just shrugged, putting his jeans in a drawer for the weekends and stuffing his new Dalton uniforms into an empty closet.

Shane skipped around his new shared room, sometimes breaking out into a dance. He was just so excited to finally be here, with Blaine, Kurt, and the rest of the Windsors, most importantly Reed. After a memorable performance of the electric slide, he threw the last of his skinny jeans (which he proffered to regular boot cut) into a random spot in the closet. He then proceeded to put his more personal things up, like pictures of his family and friends, and posters of famous dancers. He smiled when he put up the picture of the fab 5, looking directly at Micah in the picture.

One last look at his new room, and Shane decided he was done unpacking, so it was time for step two of his plan: to get Reed to fall unconditionally, irrevocably in love with him. Bursting out of the door, Shane ran to go find his singer of a brother.

* * *

><p>While shopping at his mothers, Reed appraised his mothers taste with approval. There was one floral printed dress he recognized helping her with the design while on vacation. He touched the fabric to feel the soft silk texture. A few isles away he could hear Kurt gasp in approval at, no doubt, a certain piece of clothing he found particularly appealing. Reed stumbled over to see what the primma donna what gawking at. As soon as he turned the corner though, he let out a fast breath, nearly toppling over a clothes rack in shock. In Kurt's tiny hands was a marvelous grey silk button up shirt that the painter himself had designed. His heart warmed, knowing that his mother at least liked some of his work, enough that she would have it made and put into the store.<p>

Running to the cashier, Kurt hastily set down the large pile of clothing the two had picked out that day, gulping in deep breathes of air, the dormouse tripping at his heels. "Can we get these bagged please? Oh, and be sure to be careful with that Reed Van Kamp shirt, I'm sure he wouldn't want it damaged." Kurt smirked at the tiny boy, who blushed and suddenly had a deep interest in his shiny leather shoes. Reed pulled out his platinum credit card to pay for it, but the cashier turned him down.

"It's free, no Van Kamp has to pay in their own store," the boy chuckled, shaking his head like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Placing Reed's shirt in a separate plastic covering, he put the rest of the clothes in regular bags.

With a nod to the cashier the boys took their many bags and headed for the car back to Dalton. There was a smirk of knowing on Kurt's face, and he was trying desperately to hide it from his klutzy friend. For some reason Reed couldn't put a finger on, it seemed like Windsor's little Alice wanted to get out of here as fast as possible.

"So Reed, have you heard from Shane lately?" The fashionista could barely keep control of his composure, not wanting to give the tiny artist any more clues than he already had. Reed didn't seem to notice, his face 10 times redder than just mere seconds ago.

"No, not really. I'm actually getting a little bit worried. I mean why would he just ignore me after all the hints he has been dropping? What if," the boy paused." What if he's not interested anymore, he found someone else in Colorado?" his face fell, mood dropping easily." It makes sense, why would he spend all his time chasing after me when he can find someone better than me _and_ closer to him? I just wish he were here, ya know? I just miss him so much." Reed sighed again, this time playing with the necklace he had Shane's ring on around his neck. Taking it off to get a better look at it, a small smile touched his lips at the memory of Shane.

"I'm _sure_ that's definitely not the case, Reed," his best friend assured him a little bit too confidently. "He's freaking over the moon about you, so don't beat yourself about it. I'm sure Shane has a good explanation for not talking to you." Kurt took a slow breath to contemplate. "When you see him next, you should tell him how you feel Reed. Trust me, he won't reject you."

Reed didn't have time to answer, because they had gotten to the student parking lot at Dalton. Clicking the lock button on his silver Ferrari, Reed headed off for Windsor, bags in tow and Kurt not too far behind.

Reed walked down the crunchy rock path to Kurt's and his boarding house, and all of the sudden, something hit him, terrifying the tiny artist. It was dead silent in Windsor which could only mean one thing; something was very, very wrong.

"Kurt, we can't go in there! I think something's wrong, there's no noise!" he squeaked. "Someone might've kidnapped them or something." Reed whispered, scared stiff. Kurt burst out laughing, laughing harder than Reed had ever seen before. Tears were rolling down his eyes, and he was clutching the door to Windsor for support. Reed looked at him incredulously, shocked.

"Nothings…wrong…Reed," he managed to gasp out. "Come….in….you'll see," his friend hiccupped, pushing the door open. Kurt led Reed to the kitchen, grabbing a letter for him to open.

_**My dearest Dormouse,**_

_**I have a present for you, just come and find me and I**_

_**Will make sure that it is yours to keep forever in your**_

_**heart, but only if you want to. I mean, it's okay if you**_

_**don't, really. Oh jeez, I'm babbling even in a letter, how**_

_**lame is that? Anyways, just come up to your room and**_

_**find me.**_

_**Forever yours,**_

_**The Bat (Shane)**_

Reed stared at Shane's messy scrawl, beaming with excitement. _He still wants to be with me, even though I'm a klutzy awkward mess! _Reed thought. And oh, God, _Shane _freaking _Anderson _was here to visit! Reed ran upstairs in a jumble of strawberry blonde curls, tripping over a step or two. He had never felt more elated than he did as he banged the door open, nearly knocking over a lamp nearby. There propped up next to his bed was Blaine's guitar, and sitting on his bed was Shane, wearing a Dalton uniform. At that second, Reed promptly forgot all the words of the English language. Without thinking, Reed ran at the tall, curly headed boy.

To his surprise and disappointment, Shane stopped him. " Not now, I want to do something first." Shane whispered.

"But I," Shane cut him off by placing one finger on the painter's lips.

"Shh," Shane whispered. "Please let me do this." He stepped away and promptly picked up Blaine's acoustic guitar. He started to strum a melody that Reed knew very well; Landslide, by Fleetwood Mac

_Took this love and I took it down_  
><em>Climbed a mountain and I turned around<em>  
><em>And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills<em>  
><em>Till the landslide brought me down<em>

Reed's eyes started tearing up. He looked up at the boy he now knew he would love forever. Shane sung beautifully, he was so beautiful, that there was no way Reed could ever deserve something like this, like love.

_Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?_  
><em>Can the child within my heart rise above?<em>  
><em>And can I sail through the changing ocean tides<em>  
><em>Can I handle the seasons of my life?<em>  
><em>Oh oh I don't know, oh I don't know<em>

Reed was now nearly bawling, listening to his angel's melody continue. Shane looked at him, afraid he might have done the wrong thing. But Reed shook his head, urging him to go on.

_Well, I've been afraid of changing_  
><em>'Cause I've built my life around you<em>  
><em>But time makes you bolder<em>  
><em>Children get older I'm getting older too<em>  
><em>Yes I'm getting older too, so<em>

_I've been afraid of changing_  
><em>'Cause I, I've built my life around you<em>  
><em>But time makes you bolder<em>  
><em>Children get older<em>  
><em>I'm getting older too oh yes<em>  
><em>I'm getting older too<em>

_So, take this love, take it down_  
><em>Oh if you climb a mountain and you turn around<em>  
><em>If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills<em>  
><em>Well the landslide will bring you down, down<em>  
><em>And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills<em>

_Well maybe the landslide will bring you down_  
><em>Well well, the landslide will bring you down<em>

That was it. Reed had completely lost it, bursting into a fresh wave of tears. He threw himself into Shane's arms, not even caring if he pushed him back. Shane just held him, rocking him slowly. Tears now filled his eyes, looking down at this crying boy.

"I'm so sorry Reed, I didn't mean to make you upset. I take it back, it was too forward, too much at one time." Shane looked down miserably.

"No, it's not that," Reed sputtered. "I just, I just _love _you so, so much Shane. Please don't go away, ever. It was beautiful, you beautiful, and if I ever lose you I have no idea what I would do with myself." Reed continued crying happy tears. Shane had the biggest goofy smile on his face, making him look ridiculous, but he didn't care. Reed just said he loved him, so nothing could ever be bad ever again.

"I love you too, with all my heart. I will _never _leave you." Shane leaned down and pressed a kiss into Reed's messy curls. Reed immediately pushed him away, and for a second, Shane's heart dropped to his stomach, rejected. But Reed leaned into him, their noses touching.

"Don't kiss me on my head Shane, kiss me right here." He pulled back to point at his small, pink, and plump lips. Shane didn't need telling twice. He leaned in the rest of the way, and pressed the softest kiss imaginable onto _his_ Reed's lips. If anyone were to see, they would automatically get a cavity from its sweetness.

"So, I'm in Dalton with the boy that I love, and I just kissed him for the first time. Well Reed Van Kamp, will you be my boyfriend?" Shane whispered into his ear, still holding him on his lap.

Reed paused for a minute, as if considering his offer. "I think I can live with that, yes." He teased, and leaned in to kiss his boyfriend one more time.


	2. Chapter 2

_Alright, I was just going to have this as a one shot but people seem to like it, and I just love a bunch of Ranebows :)_

_Again, none of the characters are mine from Dalton, they all belong to CP Coulter who is amazing and lovely and talented._

* * *

><p>It had been exactly six months since Reed and Shane had officially become boyfriends, and so far things had been smooth sailing, but this was their first test as a couple; Reed was going to come out to his mother and father. Being in a relationship with Shane has taught Reed many things, and one was that he really was gay. It wasn't the most important thing, but it was still true. Right now he and Shane were lying on the couch, talking.<p>

"So you're sure about this Reed?" Shane said to his boyfriend, playing with one of the boy's bouncing strawberry curls.

Reed gulped and squeaked out,"Yes, I'm positive Shane; I don't want to hide the boy that I love from my parents anymore." Even after six months of Shane being with Reed, it still sent shivers down his spine whenever Reed said this. He kissed his nose and gave him a warm smile. Just then, a crowd of Windsors came through the front door.

"Ugh guys, again?" Chaz said, exasperated. "I've seen just about enough couple-y sweetness to last a lifetime from the two of you. Honestly, you're worse than Kurt and Blaine were." Reed shot up from where he laid, cheeks flaming. He almost fell off the couch but Shane caught him just in time, grabbing him from around the waist and pecking his cheek just to annoy Chaz further and okay, to see a little bit more of Reed's adorable blushing. He wasn't disappointed.

"Bat and Dormouse sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" the twins started chanting in unison.

"Okay, that's enough embarrassment for today, we can bother them some more later," Kurt said, smirking and holding Blaine's hand. "Let's clear out before Reed bursts into flames."

"Actually, I kinda have to talk to you Kurt." Reed said tentatively. He turned to Shane and said," We'll talk about this a little later, but right now I could really use some advice from Kurt."

"Alright, just meet me when you come back down," Shane smiled goofily. Reed stood up and gave Kurt a nod to follow them to their room, and the diva complied, following Reed. When they got there Reed closed to the door and turned to his best friend, letting out a slow breath.

"Alright, what's this about?" Kurt asked, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow. His tiny friend stared at him, feeling terrified. He looked up at Kurt, and suddenly tears filled his eyes.

"Kurt, what was it like when you- when you came out to your dad?" Reed stuttered in a whisper. Tears were now streaming down his face freely, finally letting out how scared he actually was admitting his orientation to his parents. Kurt strode across the room to give his friend a tight hug.

"Are you sure you want to tell your mom and dad Reed? Once you come out of the closet, there's no jumping back in. I'm not going to lie to you, it sucks at first, you don't know how people will react, much less your friends and family. But trust me, it's so much better in the end." Reed just stood there, sniffling and listening to Kurt's words of comfort.

"I'm just _so_ scared of what they'll think of me afterwards." Reed blubbered, and Kurt knew he meant Hilde and Winston. All he could do was sit there and wait for Reed to calm down. Eventually after what seemed like an eternity of tears, Reed cried himself dry. He wiped his red puffy eyes with a tissue and lay down on his bed, flustered.

"Oh God Kurt, I'm sorry about that. I never expected that to happen, it just… took control of me." Reed said sheepishly.

"It's okay, your feeling better, I can tell. So what does Shane think of all of this?" the singer asked with a curious look on his face.

"He only thinks I should do it if I'm sure, and I am. I've been thinking about it ever since we got together, and I don't want to hide someone I love from my family because I'm afraid of what they'll think." Reed voiced this bravely, his face serious. "Shane is worth so much more than that."

"You know you're a hell of a lot braver than I am Reed, everyone already knew I was gay, I didn't have to tell them. When I was ready to come out, all I had to do was live by what everyone else already thought of me." He laughed at the memories. "My dad said that all I wanted for my 3rd birthday for my birthday was a pair of sensible heels."

"Well it makes sense," Reed chuckled. "They would go perfectly with just the right knee length sweater."

"I know!" Kurt exclaimed in an excitement of someone finally understanding the importance of the concept at hand. And suddenly, they were both laughing. It started as a chuckle, but grew into full out hysterics. Their eyes were streaming, lungs aching for air. Reed didn't know how long it had been since he had been this crazy, but he found it hilarious. Forcing calm over himself, he suppressed further giggles from escaping.

"Thanks for this Kurt, it really helped me," the tiny painter smiled. "I'm going to go talk to Shane now, we have to make plans for this. Got to get a flight out on the weekend from the twins, I want to talk to both of my parents personally, this isn't a thing you can just say over the phone." The other boy nodded in agreement. He didn't say anything as Reed left, only watching as he shut the door, wondering what could possibly lay in the Dormouse's future.

* * *

><p>"So, we're going to your mother's first, and then your dads' place?" Shane asked his boyfriend, making sure of the plans. Of all the things that Shane has screwed up in the past, this was <em>not <em>going to be one of them. Shane wasn't about to be the one to make matters worse if things ended…..badly.

"Yeah, I think my mom will be more...accepting of me, and of us. She has probably been expecting me to come out for ages, given the world she raised me in." Reed said, proving his point by the outfit he was wearing: the shirt Reed himself had designed with a black vest over it and a pair of $200 dollar black skinny jeans (which Shane rather liked on him) He wanted to look his best to see Hilde, not wanting to give her anything further to comment or improve on.

Both Shane and Reed's bags were packed, and they had to leave in the next half hour. One day was to be spent with each of the parents, and Reed had to make Hilde swear not to hint anything at Winston. Both boys started walking down the stairs with the bags, Shane standing close by the painter, in fear that he might trip and fall down the stairs. The Tweedles were standing at the limo to send them off.

"Good luck little Dormouse-"Ethan said.

"and remember-"Evan chimed in.

"We'll always love you for who you are!" the twins exclaimed, this time in unison. "You too, not as tiny bat." and they hugged both Reed and Shane, something unusual for the twins. But when did the twins ever do anything usual? Saying the last of their goodbyes, Shane and Reed got into the black limo.

There was an awkward silence between the two on the way to the airport, neither wanting to be the one to bring up what was about to happen. They just held each others hand, Reed resting on Shane's shoulder. Shane was bouncing his leg up and down, getting agitated from the quiet. Finally, he couldn't take any more of it and spoke up.

"Reed, you know no matter what happens I'll love you right? If they can't see how much we really do love each other they must be blind." Shane exclaimed with worry traced into his facial features. Reed looked at him with a face full of distress.

"I know that you'll always love me, and I'll always love you. But I honestly don't know if my parents, or rather my dad, will let himself see it." He looked down, not wanting to meet Shane's eyes as he said this." What kind of a boyfriend can I be if I'm rejected by my own family?" Reed's voice quivered, truly breaking Shane's heart at the devastation. He grabbed the artist into his arms, pulling him onto his lap.

"You'll still be you. You'll continue to paint beautiful pictures, and you will sing your heart out at Warbler's practice, and you will still trip over your own two feet." Shane chuckled." You will still be the perfect you, and that's all I need. My perfect little mess." Shane smiled at Reed, and leaned down to kiss his forehead." Now lets not talk about this until we absolutely have to. Only happy thoughts from now until we get to the Upper East Side on Park Avenue."

Shane speaking these words immensely comforted Reed. If Shane thought this of him, he knew he would be alright, even if his mother and father didn't accept him, or at the bare minimum, tolerate him. It was at this moment that the limo came to a stop and they were right in front of the twins' private jet. The driver opened up the door finding them in the position they had been in for the last fifteen minutes. Shane pulled Reed off his lap, unashamed and dragging his boyfriend out behind him. Both boys' bags had already been searched and loaded into the jet, and Shane was rather looking forward for the two hour flight full of video games, dancing and of course, alone time with Reed which he so rarely got ever since transferring to Dalton.

"Come on Reed, let's go and play guitar hero!" Shane jumped up and down, as excited as an 8 year old at Disney World. He ran towards the large plasma screen T.V. and PS3. He picked up a guitar and turned on the machine, along with the T.V.

"No I can't Shane, I'll trip over a drum set!" Reed squeaked.

"Fine, I'll do one on my own first, but I'm forcing you to do the next one. It's part of my duty as boyfriend to make sure you enjoy yourself sometime." Shane said, flipping through the choice in songs. Seeing one he particularly liked, his face lit up, then he turned to Reed with a smirk on his face.

"This one is _all_ for you, babe." He wiggled his eyebrows suspiciously. The song started playing, and Reed recognizing it immediately grew bright red and he attempted to through a pillow at the younger Anderson, but was off by many feet.

_You know I never_  
><em>I never seen you look so good<em>  
><em>You never act the way you should<em>  
><em>But I like it<em>  
><em>And I know you like it too<em>  
><em>The way that I want you<em>  
><em>I gotta have you<em>  
><em>Oh yes, I do<em>

Shane was strumming along with the chords, and was now singing along, or rather shouting, glancing at the mortified Reed standing next to him.

_You know I never_  
><em>I never ever stay out late<em>  
><em>You know that I can hardly wait<em>  
><em>Just to see you<em>  
><em>And I know you cannot wait<em>  
><em>Wait to see me too<em>  
><em>I gotta touch you<em>

_Cause baby we'll be_  
><em>At the drive-in<em>  
><em>In the old man's Ford<em>  
><em>behind the bushes<em>  
><em>till I'm screamin' for more<em>  
><em>Down the basement<em>  
><em>lock the cellar door<em>  
><em>And baby<em>  
><em>Talk dirty to me<em>

Reed just looked at Shane, surprised at his insane bravery, for it _sure_ wasn't going to be rewarded. Shane was really asking for some rather serious death threats from the tiny little Warbler. Not that it were ever possible, Shane could easily overpower Reed.

_You know I call you_  
><em>I call you on the telephone<em>  
><em>I'm only hoping that you're home<em>  
><em>So I can hear you<em>  
><em>When you say those words to me<em>  
><em>And whisper so softly<em>  
><em>I gotta hear you<em>

_Cause baby we'll be_  
><em>At the drive-in<em>  
><em>In the old man's Ford<em>  
><em>behind the bushes<em>  
><em>till I'm screamin' for more<em>  
><em>Down the basement<em>  
><em>lock the cellar door<em>  
><em>And baby<em>  
><em>Talk dirty to me<em>

"C.C., pick up that guitar and talk to me." Shane said to Reed, quoting the song. Reed smiled, shaking his head but joining in anyways, pretending to play on the other guitar.

_Cause baby we'll be_  
><em>At the drive-in<em>  
><em>In the old man's Ford<em>  
><em>behind the bushes<em>  
><em>till I'm screamin' for more ore more!<em>  
><em>Down the basement<em>  
><em>and lock the cellar door<em>  
><em>And baby<em>  
><em>Talk dirty to me<em>  
><em>And baby<em>  
><em>talk dirty to me<em>  
><em>and baby<em>  
><em>talk dirty to<em>  
><em>uh ...wooooo<em>

Reed and Shane finished Poison's "Talk Dirty to Me" together, toppling over each other and laughing hysterically. Reed immediately tried to bounce up, but got light headed and would've come toppling to the ground if Shane hadn't, again, stopped him from falling.

"My turn to choose the song!" Reed said, turning on the other guitar and flipping through everything. They did this for the rest of the flight, laughing and singing and playing the guitar. Neither boy really noticed as they landed, or even as they got out of the plane and into the next limo; they were too engrossed with each other. Reed and Shane almost forgot what they were coming to New York for until they reached the front steps of the large apartment that belonged to the Van Kamps. It was a bit of a wake up call for both of them when they arrived at the front steps, where behind the door Hilde Van Kamp was waiting expectantly. It was Shane who rang the doorbell, seeing as Reed had suddenly become a statue and didn't make any plans to return from that state any time soon.

After a knock, both boys heard a clicking of heels make their way to the door, a lock sliding open and a doorknob turning. Into their view came the lovely Hilde Van Kamp, fashionable as ever. Reed started to whimper quietly, and Shane gave him an encouraging look, giving him the courage to carry on with what they both came here for.

"Uh- hi mom, I know you're wondering why-why I wanted to come see you out of the blue." Reed stammered. He took a deep breath and continued." Can we step inside?"

"Of course you can Reed, come on in." she gestured for them to follow her to the clean white living room, and offered the two of them to sit on the pale white couch. It was rather comfortable.

"Are you alright Reed, you look a bit pale, dear." Hilde said concerned, her rare maternal instinct kicking in.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Reed squeaked, starting to sweat, his hands clammy." I'm actually more than okay, I'm great." This statement was laughable, seeing as the poor boy looked like he was about to have a heart attack. Shane was looking at his boyfriend with a growing worry, then glancing at Hilde to see her expression.

"I'm…I'm in love mom." Reed said, taking Shane's hand finally." I'm in love with Shane," Reed said, all but passing out from the tension in the room. "I'm gay." Reed finally blurted out, and puffed out the rest of his breath in a rush of air. Dead silence filled the living room, and this time Shane didn't dare start tapping his feet even if it killed him. Hilde then looked between her son and Shane, and she smiled.

"Oh Reed, finally! I've been waiting for you to tell me this for ages! You never were very good at keeping secrets you know. I'm so happy for you!" she got up from the couch and ran up to hug her only son, finally obviously proud of him for being so brave. Hilde then turned to Shane, giving him a once over, taking in his appearance. Apparently she approved, so she went to go and hug him too this one more delicate as she didn't know Shane. He was surprised but hugged her back, then went to wrap his arm around Reed's waist.

"Mom, thank you so much for accepting me and who I love, you have no idea how much it means to me. I'm going to dad's tomorrow, and I have absolutely no idea how he'll react. It just really helps knowing that at least one of my parents will love me no matter what." Reed was beaming, grinning ear to ear. Shane had mirrored him exactly, goofy smile intact.

"If you love someone Reed, than I love them too." She turned to the younger Anderson so as to not ignore him. "You take care of Reed okay? I'm not always there to protect him and I sure don't want any problems." The Van Kamp heiress warned, her eyebrow raising.

"Oh no, I don't think that's going to be a problem Mrs. Van Kamp. I went through a lot of trouble to get him to be my boyfriend; months of convincing, me transferring schools, _and_ serenading him." He smiled at Hilde, hazel eyes gleaming and full of happiness." He just _loves_ to play hard to get." Shane teased, kissing his cheek playfully and causing the artist to turn a rosy red color. All Hilde could do was laugh.

It was this moment that Reed thought of absolutely nothing. He had no troubles, no fears, and no flaws. It was the perfect moment, and Reed would cherish it forever. He would remember it for the rest of his life like a photograph, not knowing what the future had in store for him, only feeling that his present was definitely worth living.


	3. Chapter 3

_First off, I want to apologize on the delay. I've been so busy, it's crazy! Thanks for being so patient, I really appreciate it . __I tried to overcompensate with extra fluff, to help with uh... other things (no spoilers here) hope you don't drown in it! I tried with this chapter, but I'm not really satisfied with it. Blehh, oh well._

_I own nothing of Glee or Dalton, as said previously._

* * *

><p>After spending the rest of the afternoon with Hilde (who had cancelled all plans to be with her son and his boyfriend) Reed and Shane went back to the airport for the second part of their exhausting weekend, Hilde promising to not breath a word to Winston. The Dalton boys hopped back on the twins' plane, this time headed to L.A. where Reed's director of a father was sure to be.<p>

"So watcha wanna do for this flight Reed? We could play guitar hero again or sing or dance, whatever works for you. If you want we could play a different kind of game, like a Trouble or Pictionary or Apples to Apples or-"

"SHANE!" the small boy shouted with a volume surprising for his small stature, effectively cutting off the brunette's rant. He looked shocked with himself, and a little sorry that he had yelled at Shane.

"Okay, now that you've calmed down, can I ask you something? I'm really tired and I just want to do something calmly with my boyfriend. Can you not act like a mad man for a little bit, _plleeasse_? I want to dance with you." Reed asked with no intentions of insulting the other boy. Shane shook his head up and down at a rapid pace, resembling slightly the obedience of a Golden Retriever.

"That would be….just spectacular Reed." Shane smiled, showing his signature goofy grin that he wore only when around Reed. He wrapped his arm around the artist's tiny waist and reached over to grab the remote to the radio. A familiar song started to play from the "Enchanted" soundtrack, and Shane started spinning Reed gracefully.

_You're in my arms_  
><em>And all the world is calm<em>  
><em>The music playing on for only two<em>  
><em>So close together<em>  
><em>And when I'm with you<em>  
><em>So close to feeling alive<em>

_A life goes by_  
><em>Romantic dreams will stop<em>  
><em>So I bid mine goodbye and never knew<em>  
><em>So close was waiting, waiting here with you<em>  
><em>And now forever I know<em>  
><em>All that I wanted to hold you<em>  
><em>So close<em>

The spinning intensified and Reed felt a little dizzy, almost falling over. But he had his Shane there to protect him, and Shane would _never _let him fall. He pulled Reed closer into his arms, lifting Reed up onto his feet to make sure he wouldn't almost fall again. Shane started whispering the lyrics into his tiny boy's ear.

_So close to reaching that famous happy end_  
><em>Almost believing this was not pretend<em>  
><em>And now you're beside me and look how far we've come<em>  
><em>So far we are so close<em>

_How could I face the faceless days_  
><em>If I should lose you now?<em>  
><em>We're so close<em>  
><em>To reaching that famous happy end<em>  
><em>And almost believing this was not pretend<em>  
><em>Let's go on dreaming for we know we are<em>  
><em>So close<em>  
><em>So close<em>

Reed's heart was thumping miraculously, and he knew he and Shane had so far to go, but he wanted to spend every waking moment with him. The song was coming to a close, only one line left in the lyrics to the song.

_And still so far_

The young couple stood there, breathing heavily. They didn't speak a word, just moved over to cuddle on the couch. The younger Anderson began to entertain himself with trying to mess up Reed's perfectly styled hair, but the tiny boy wasn't having _any _of that. Reed swatted Shane's hand away with a smack.

"I may be impossibly in love with you, but that does _not _give you permission to try and mess up my hair Shane Michael Anderson," Reed said without out a drip of sarcasm in his voice.

"I can't help it my darling, your just so damn adorable that I can't help myself. Besides, your curls are _sooo_ soft, I just can't help but touch them," Shane all but breathed the words out in a low voice, sounds wisping away slowly.

"Aww Shane, stop being such a mush ball, you're going to make me sick." Reed said, whining but with a grin spread widely on his cherubic face. "Just go to sleep you dork, you're going to go into crash mode if you don't get a few hours of sleep in before we land."

"Will do, my humungous nerd," Shane said, holding his hand up in mock solute before closing his eyes, which would how he would remain until Reed woke him up several hours later to get off the plane.

"Come on babe," Reed murmured, brushing Shane's curls out of his face. "Time for you to meet my dad, Clark might be there too." Reed urged him, trying and failing to pull Shane up off the couch.

"Mmmmmm… I don't waaaanntt to get up…" Shane mumbled, grabbing the artist around the waist, dragging him back down. Reed pushed firmly against his chest, resisting the growing urge to lay there and ignore the oncoming event.

"You get up now Shane Anderson, or no kisses for an entire week!" the blonde threatened, and as if shocked by some invisible electrical force, the dancer sat bolt upright. This threat he clearly took seriously.

"On second thought, I do need to stretch my legs out, let's get going!"

"That's what I thought," Reed smirked knowingly. "Damn boy, I've got you whipped." He made an imitation of cracking a whip. Shane winced, and then laughed at the sound of Reed swearing with his innocent mouth.

"Never!" Shane gasped, then faltered," well maybe a little," he mumbled.

The remainder of conversation that was left with the boys disagreeing on who wore the pants in their relationship. They laughed, making sharp gestures in their explanation of why each boy was so obviously in charge. Again, neither noticed when the limo stopped right at the crisp manor that belonged to Reed's father. Reed was a little bit too confident when ringing the door bell, Clark Sawyer answering it.

"Hey Reed, I didn't expect you here!" he said, shocked, but seemingly excited to see his step brother." Is this a friend of yours from Dalton…?" he continued, curious.

"You could say that, yes." Shane smirked, taking this as an opportunity to speak." May we come in?" the dancer asked politely.

"Sure, of course! Winston is in his office, I'll tell him you're here Reed. He's got a phone call right now, so it could be a few minutes."

The Dalton boys stepped in to the enormous room, careful to wipe their shoes before doing so. Reed motioned Shane to come forward, and they sat down on the couch, Clark running off to retrieve his step father.

"Shane, I just want you to know how much I appreciate you doing this for me, I really don't know how I can ever repay you. It just means so much to me." Reed said with a look of pure love in his eyes.

"Hey, hey, I don't require anything but your love. You're just so adorable that I think I might have to kiss you right now." Shane said, leaning in as he said this. But he never got the chance, because at that moment a large something whistled past them. That something hit home right at its target: Shane. A shattering sound came as the impact was made against his head. Shane toppled over, blood dripping down his temple and a broken vase lying on the ground before him. Across the room, Winston stood there with a terrifying glare over his face, contorting his features. If looks could kill, every single last person in that room would be dead.

"YOU FUCKING HOMO, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE! I WILL _NOT HAVE_ A FAG AS A SON!" He raged, absolutely murderous.

Clark came running down the stairs to see what the commotion was and stopped dead at the sight of his step-father in this rage. Winston ran at Reed, who was now in a whole entire different universe. He had hurt Shane, the one that he loved. The Bat to his Dormouse, the love of his life. Silent tears were spilling down his face relentlessly. Reed almost didn't care when the impact came, his father toppling on top of him. Then the punches came, blowing against his face, and _oh, _he could feel _that._ It was dizzying. Reed tried to find his father, but his eyes couldn't see anything. Nothing but Shane. Shane, laughing, and leaning in for a kiss. Shane, toppling over in the shock of being hit. And now Shane, _bleeding _all over the couch. Everything was becoming blurry, and then it stopped. Clark had come to the rescue.

The actor pulled his step-father off the small Reed, now trembling with fear. He was covered with blood, dripping from his nose, the cut under his eye, and his boyfriend's blood, soaking his shirt. Shane was now unconscious, and Reed refused to let go. Clark was now struggling to keep Winston back. Clark was strong, and in his youth, which greatly factored in the struggle. Winston, being older and frailer than his step son, could not break free.

"DON'T STAND THERE REED, DAMMIT, CALL 9-1-1! I KNOW HE'S HURT, BUT JUST DO IT!" Clark shouted at the top of his lungs, now attempting to sit on Winston. Reed did as he said- he couldn't let Shane down, when he neverlet Reed down. It was his turn to take care of Shane.

Both the police and ambulance reached the mansion within three minutes, bursting down the door. So many things happened all at once, Clark struggling to keep a hold of Winston, the police cuffing him, Shane being strapped to a gurney, Reed being examined for any signs of severs head trauma. And the lights, _oh _the flashing lights. Blue and red filling the entire front room. Clark was being questioned, as he was unharmed. Reed standby, absolutely refused to let go of Shane, so they were loaded into the ambulance together. Through all of this, Reed was singing to the beautiful dancer who now had an oxygen mask on his face.

_So close, and still, so far..._

* * *

><p><em>Okay so umm...please don't hurt me for this! *hides under rock* I promise, in the next chapter you'll know how everything turns out on this certain topic.<em>


	4. Chapter 4

_Wow, I really blew through this chapter. Well I knew exactly what I wanted out of it, so it kinda wrote itself. I apologize if I offend anyone here, because it has a few religous view points. I swear I'm not trying to offend anyone, or knock on anyone's religion._

_sigh...I still don't own Glee or Dalton, though I desperately wish I did._

* * *

><p>He was drifting slowly, in and out like a wave in the ocean. Shane seemed to be taking his time walking around the hospital, as if in no hurry, which couldn't be more opposite from the truth. Shane turned a corner at his leisure, and saw a rush of color. They were scrubs, and behind them all, a body was on a rolling bed, heading towards surgery. Curiosity struck the dancer, so he decided to follow it.<p>

_Well that's strange, that person looks a lot like me on that surgery table. It obviously couldn't be me, because I'm right here. No, it's definitely not me...or is it?_

Shane walked into the room to get a better look at this stranger. It didn't register to him how odd it was that he could just go wherever he wanted. He peered around all of the doctors, peeking at the stranger, who now wasn't really a stranger at all.

_Holy shit! That's me! Ohmygodohmygodohmygod. What am I now? This shit only happens on T.V. or some crappy soap. Shitshitshit, where the hell is Reed?_

All the surgeons were working on Shane like he was a car that needed fixing. One person had a recorder out, murmuring into it.

"Patient has suffered severe trauma to the temporal lobe and is now in a coma. Some brain injury is possible, but cannot be determined until a proper CAT scan is performed. Severe blood loss has occurred and may be life threatening."

Oh, so that was it. He was dying. That's why Shane is having this….what do you call it? Oh yeah, an out of body experience. Well if he could go wherever he wanted, Shane might as well find Reed in this god forsaken hospital.

_He's probably been here so many times, they have his own room set up for him and ready for whenever he needed it. _Shane thought to himself, not at all joking. He didn't have long to look, for Shane had found Reed and Clark on just the floor below him. A young nurse was speaking to the pair of them.

"So Reed, Clark, I'm here for an update on Shane. Right now he's in surgery, there was a significant amount of damage to his temple. It's really sketchy in cases like these, and we don't know how Shane will react to it since everyone is different." Both boys nodded, Reed balling his now bloodied shirt in his fists, creating many wrinkles. For once he didn't seem to care, looking the picture of miserable.

_Don't cry Reed, I'm right here, with you! _Shane called out with all his might, but Reed didn't seem to hear him. It was then that he took in the sight of Reed's condition. He had a deep cut underneath his left eye, which was now stitched up, an obviously broken nose, and a bandage wrapped around his head. It was probably due to a concussion.

_Sit down little angel, you probably feel awful right now._ Shane whispered, grabbing on to Reed's tiny shoulders, which the small boy couldn't even feel.

"Alright, thank you Danielle," Reed nodded to the very familiar nurse," I'm not feeling to well, I think I'm going to lie down. I'll see you later Clark." Well at least the boy got the message. Not wanting to bother the artist's slumber, Shane crept out of the private room, forgetting that no one would hear him. Since there was nothing to do at the moment, Shane walked down to where the newborn babies were, in favor of something bright.

They were all beautiful, every single last one of them. Some of the babies had a full head of hair, while others were completely bald, but all of them were sleeping peacefully with not a care in the world. Shane wasn't the only one there. Two men stood at the opposite end of Shane, arms wrapped around each other.

"Look at our little girl Elijah, she's so beautiful. She looks so much like you, and I can see a bit of Amy in there too." The taller man grinned.

"Yeah, we picked a pretty good surrogate, she's absolutely gorgeous Mitchell." Elijah grinned up at his husband. "We're daddies now." The couple beamed, and shared a tender kiss. Shane felt a bit guilty, seeing as he was looking into what might be their first moment as parents, but he couldn't help but think about that there is where Shane would like to be with Reed, given a few years. If he survived through this. It was this moment that Shane saw his mother and father run through hurriedly, with Blaine on his heels. Shane ran after them, following his brother. Blaine was on his phone.

"Yes, yes Kurt. Reed is going to be okay. He's laying down right now. It's-it's Shane right now." Blaine gulped, fighting for dear life to hold in unshed tears. "He's in surgery, and they told us to call important family members and friends." There was a buzzing coming from the other side of line. Blaine kept nodding to it, mmm-hmms thrown about. " Okay, I'll see you and everyone else in a few hours. I love you too, bye." Blaine clicked the phone shut, knowing he couldn't control his voice anymore. He let out a small wail, sitting down on an over-stuffed couch in the waiting room. If only Shane could tell his brother everything would be fine, but how would he hear him?

Shane walked away hurriedly, feeling sick to his stomach. He needed to be anywhere but here, in a place where people were mourning over him. That's how he ended up at the cafeteria, sitting at an empty table to be alone with his thoughts.

_What exactly have I done with my life? Yeah I dance, but it's never made a difference in anyone else's life but mine. I swear, the only thing I do is screw with other people's lives, especially Blaine's. It should have been who took the fall for my mistake with Micah. All those cuts, all those bruises are my fault. I am soooo gonna tell my dad the entire story once I get back into my body. I'll take all the hits I can get, I deserve each one of them for letting him do that to Blaine. And Reed, him getting hurt was all my fault. I should've been more careful in where I tried to kiss him. I mean for crying out loud, he was about to come out to his dad of all people! Nice move Shane, smother your boyfriend when he's about to do something that could change his life forever. Granted, that dude had no excuse to act like that to his son who was in love with another boy. But if I had been more careful, I could've saved him like I always do!_

Shane continued to berate himself, practically losing his hair with worry. Just as he was about to leave, Shane saw his mother and father coming to sit down tight where he was just seconds before, his father looking highly unhappy. Shane was curious, and couldn't help but do a little eavesdropping.

"I can't believe he didn't tell us he was a fag like his brother. I mean Jesus, if I had known then I'd have-"

"Bart, stop it! Don't you _dare _look down on him now, he could _die _any second now while in surgery, and I will nothave your last thought of him be one in vain." His mother chocked back a sob, not letting any tears fall. "I stood by when you hurt Blaine, _our son, _and that was one of the biggest mistakes I've made in my entire life. I regret it everyday. Why are you punishing them for loving other people?"

To that, Mr. Anderson had no answer. He was absolutely dumbstruck, having a deer in headlights moment.

Shane couldn't bear all of the sadness. Tears were pouring down his face as he flat out ran out of the cafeteria, looking for anything happy and full of sunshine. A sudden feeling of lightness came over him, and a flash of white light was appearing. It had a feeling of…freedom, of warmth and love and home. Shane so badly to go towards it. Just as he was about to touch it, a sudden jerk pulled him back, like an invisible hook on a fishing line. There was no floor beneath his feet. Shane was floating, and there was an image below him.

"Get the crash cart!" a doctor shouted. His heart monitor was beeping off the charts, trying to put enough beats into it to last a life time. The shouting doctor smacked to metal plates together, then smacking them down on Shane's bare chest. Shane didn't seem to feel it. They started doing chest compressions, beating his heart for him.

Above it all, spirit Shane was watching. He looked up at the peaceful light, and _God _he wanted to follow it so badly, really he did. The jerking sensation was performed again, and a new image was there below Shane. All the Warblers plus Clark were gathered around Reed's bed. They were all singing a familiar tune, Reed having the solo.

_If I die young, bury me in satin_  
><em>Lay me down on a, bed of roses<em>  
><em>Sink me in the river, at dawn<em>  
><em>Send me away with the words of a love song<em>

_Uh oh, uh oh_

_Lord make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother_  
><em>She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors, oh and<em>  
><em>Life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no<em>  
><em>Ain't even grey, but she buries her baby<em>

_The sharp knife of a short life, well_  
><em>I've had, just enough time<em>

_If I die young, bury me in satin_  
><em>Lay me down on a, bed of roses<em>  
><em>Sink me in the river, at dawn<em>  
><em>Send me away with the words of a love song<em>

_The sharp knife of a short life, well_  
><em>I've had, just enough time<em>

_And I'll be wearing white, when I come into your kingdom_  
><em>I'm as green as the ring on my little, cold finger, I've<em>  
><em>Never known the lovin' of a man<em>  
><em>But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand, there's a<em>  
><em>Boy here in town says he'll, love my forever<em>  
><em>Who would have thought forever could be severed by<em>  
><em>The sharp knife of a short life, well<em>  
><em>I've had, just enough time<em>

_A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I'll sell them for a dollar_  
><em>They're worth so much more after I'm a goner<em>  
><em>And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singin'<em>  
><em>Funny when your dead how people start listenin'<em>

_If I die young, bury me in satin_  
><em>Lay me down on a, bed of roses<em>  
><em>Sink me in the river, at dawn<em>  
><em>Send me away with the words of a love song<em>

_Uh oh (uh, oh)_  
><em>The ballad of a dove (uh, oh)<em>  
><em>Go with peace and love<em>  
><em>Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket<em>  
><em>Save them for a time when your really gonna need them, oh<em>

_The sharp knife of a short life_

Everyone closed the song, all having tears streaked down their faces. No! Shane can't leave him, can't leave Reed! He wasn't ready. Now there was that floating sensation again, and this time Shane touched the light. He could barely get a glimpse of what was going on down there, but there was still just a little window.

_Time of death…_the doctor said, an echo ringing through the midst. Now Shane was fighting against the floating light, desperately trying to crawl out of this stupor, back to his Reed. Shane was being carried higher and higher up then….he felt the bonds carrying him break free, and dropped back down. Above Shane, God stood. He let this soul go because he couldn't bear tearing the young lovers apart. God would get his soul later, when he was ready. It was the only exception he ever made for a person.

* * *

><p>Shane opened his eyes, gasping. Everyone in the room jumped back, including the doctor who was just about to call his time of death.<p>

"I guess time of death is no longer necessary. Welcome back to the world, Mr. Anderson. You flat lined, and we thought for sure you were gone." He said, removing his mask.

Shane just nodded, to weak to say anything but this;" Reed….let me…let me see him….Reed…" Shane panted, getting used to being back in his body. Anyone else in the room would've said no with the state he was in, but the doctor could tell he wouldn't stop until he got what he wanted, and it was better that he just give it to him now so he could save his energy.

"Of course," he nodded, ignoring the disbelieving faces. He took Shane's bed and rolled him into the ICU. Shane closed his eyes contently, and the doctor walked down to where all the Warblers were, still waiting in Reed's room gravely. Every face in the room looked at the doctors expectantly, waiting for the verdict. The doctor smiled.

"What I just saw was a miracle. Never in all my years of medicine have I seen anyone as strong as young Mr. Anderson. He flat-lined in us twice, and I was just about to call the time of death when suddenly- he gasped and opened his eyes!" he grinned, ecstatic and waving his arms. Everyone broke into cheers and whoops, clapping, jumping and dancing around. Reed looked as if he could walk on air.

"Mr. Van Kamp, he wants to see you." The doctor yelled over all the chanting. Without hesitating Reed ran up and grabbed the doctor in a huge hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he squeaked. " Thank you so much doctor uh-what's your name?" the tiny boy asked.

"Doctor Ikram, but you can call me John." He said." Let me take you to him." Reed said his goodbyes and promises of carrying messages to Shane, than ran off to follow Dr. Ikram to his beloved. There he stopped, his breath catching at the sight of Shane. He looked considerably battered up, but a smile cracked his lips, in danger of breaking a cut there.

"Shane I'm so, so sorry. I should've never taken you with me to see him. It should be me laying there on that bed. I should've-"but Reed couldn't finish his sentence due to the fact that Shane just pinched his lips between his two fingers.

"No Reed. I think you and I both know if the roles were reversed you wouldn't be sitting here right now. No offense babe, but I've always been a lot bigger than you." Shane chuckled, and it sounded dry and raspy like a chain smoker. "Come over here and kiss me, I've missed you." Reed followed Shane's orders, pressing his lips chastely to Shane's. They tasted like blood, but underneath all of that, purely Shane.

The couple didn't seem to notice that Dr. Ikram was still in the room, so he silently excused himself, smiling at the amount of love between the young pairing. He pulled out his necklace of a cross and kissed it, then floated up to heaven, becoming their guardian angel once more.


End file.
